


Please Don't Look at Me

by Corpse_Dance



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort, Gen, Hurt Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Hurt/Comfort, Self-Hatred, Sort of happy ending??, alastor doesn't know how to communicate his affection all that well, husk needs comfort, radiohusk if you see it as such, self-hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corpse_Dance/pseuds/Corpse_Dance
Summary: Husk hates himself and is horrible at showing his emotions. Due to this, he resorts to drinking his problems away, not caring how it affected those around him until an unexpected visit from Alastor one night.Relationship between Husk and Al is to be interpreted by the reader
Relationships: Alastor & Husk (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. A Hellish Morning

**Author's Note:**

> In a later chapter, there will be alcoholism and self loathing mentioned so please be aware of that
> 
> There wasn’t a beta reader for this chapter

Hell wasn’t the best place to be, and most of Pentagram city was torn up and ugly, but the mornings were beautiful. The pinkish sun created wonderful red sunrises that most denizens would wake up early to see. They only lasted an hour and then those who resided in Hell would be reminded of the literal Hell-hole they lived in, but that hour was the only moment of peace they could get their filthy hands on.

Husk didn’t care much to wake up early to watch the sunrise, and usually just woke up at around whatever time he wanted, but those days were now behind him; he had an actual job now!

Husk was sound asleep when the alarm set on his phone went off at 6:30 am. He would be lying if he said he didn’t hit the snooze button more than just a few times.

“Husk!” The winged cat growled and pulled the covers over his face at the sound of his name.

“Husk, wake up! It’s 7:15!” He recognized the voice to be Charlie’s.

He let out an agitated sigh and mumbled, “dammit, it’s too early for this.”

Another voice could be heard from the other side of the door, this time it was Vaggie’s followed by a series of forceful knocks. “Hon, let me- HUSK WAKE UP!”

Husk was now awake, but on the wrong side of the bed. He pulled the cozy covers off himself and sat on the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He yawned and stretched but immediately stopped when the aftermath of last night's binge came full force.

Husk massaged his temples and groggily spoke, “Alright, alright! Just- ugh- give a fuckin’ minute.” Vaggie and Charlie’s voices then quieted down and he could still hear them talking, clearly waiting for him.

Husk stood up slowly so as to not worsen his hangover and stretched his wings. He walked over to the big window of his hotel room and opened the curtains, the morning sun stinging his eyes so he squinted a bit.

Husk walked over to the door and partially tripped on an empty bottle of booze which he then kicked to the side and kept walking. His room wasn’t the cleanest of the Hotel staff, having empty bottles anywhere and everywhere along with dirty clothes thrown about. He refused Niffty’s offers to clean his room enough times to the point where she just never asked anymore, her germaphobe and neat freak side making it hard to look at his room for more than 5 minutes.

He opened the door to the two girls, closed his eyes, and waited for Vaggie’s usual scolding but when she didn’t, his eyes shot open in surprise.

“Finally, you’re awake,” Vaggie spoke calmly but was still clearly annoyed. “You really overslept.”

Husk stood in his doorway, gazing at Vaggie with wide eyes.

“What?”

Husk blinked, “Nothin’ just was expectin’ you to yell at me again is all.”

“Do you want me to yell? ‘Cause I can do that!”

“ _You bitch_ \- No! Not with my fuckin’ hangover.”

“Okay guys, uh,” Charlie stepped between them, “how about we all head now to the Lobby? I’m sure Niffty and Alastor are already awake, waiting to start today’s work!” She then turned on her heel and walked off, trying to sound energetic as she told them to follow her.

The moth and winged cat gave each other one last growl at each other behind the princess’s back before following her.

-

The walk to the lobby was fairly quiet excluding the few moments where Charlie voiced any ideas that came to her mind about the day’s plans. Husk didn’t really care for it since he’d be trapped behind that damn bar all day but he did hear Alastor’s name come up a few times.

The hallway was dead silent as they didn’t have any other demon beside Angel Dust staying at the hotel. This made the trio’s footsteps quite loud, the clicking of the two girls’ heels ringing out in Husk’s mind hurt his already pounding head after hearing the repetitive sound for what felt like an eternity. Him being a cat with sensitive hearing and being a drunk that had too many hangovers to count made his stay in Hell a living nightmare.

He tried his best to take his mind off the noise by admiring the architecture of the hotel hallway. The wallpaper was a dark crimson, the Magne family crest in a light red peppering the blood colored walls. The doors had a golden door frame that connected into a road of gold that would soon find its way to the next door, little patterns etched into them. Fancy light fixtures decorated the ceiling, giving the hotel halls a warm light to them.

Before Alastor and Niffty had arrived to clean it up, the hotel was in complete shambles. Cobwebs everywhere you looked, some light fixtures cracked beyond repair and some missing, presumably stolen to be resold. The golden roads and columns scratched and covered in soot, making them matte and a dull yellow rather than a shiny gold, and the wallpaper was peeling and dirty. Those who had allergies would have wanted to avoid this place at all costs before that infamous deer and his psycho cyclops showed up.

Everything about this Hotel seemed expensive otherwise and Husk found it idiotic that it was abandonded but then again, the Magnes had a shit ton of money to the point where leaving this behind didn’t really matter to the king and queen.  
Husk’s mind had wandered to a far away planet, successfully tuning out the princess and her girlfriend, before he was suddenly dragged back down to Earth, having arrived at their destination.

“Good morning Husker, my dear!” Alastor exclaimed, the usual pep in his voice though his facial expression not exactly matching, his smile seemingly strained.

“Morning!” Niffty chirped, Husk shifting his focus to her. She bounced in place, energetic as always.

“Ugh, morning fuckers,” Husk groaned. Charlie had grabbed a few papers that she left on the bar and walked over to her other employees, clipboard in hand. She tucked a loose bang behind her ear, her hair a golden river that made it easy for one to find themselves swimming in thoughts of stroking it. It was something easy to imagine, brushing your hand through, the gold spilling from your fingers and falling to frame her face.

She cleared her throat, “Alright! So today, since we haven’t gotten any real business yet, the majority of today’s work goes to Alastor, Vaggie, and myself. Niffty, the bedrooms aren’t clean yet so I’d like to see if you can get started on that. Husk, you man the bar and get everything set up and write down anything you need and I’ll get them to you by, uh, Wednesday. The three of us,” she gestured to Al and Vaggie, “will discuss the future of the Hotel for this month in a meeting room. Once we’re done, Vaggie and I can help you clean, Niffty.”

“More the merrier!” Niffty responded.

The girls began talking and making conversation as Husk began to walk over to the bar. He didn’t really have anything to do so once he cleaned up the bar a bit he’d go ahead and drink to his heart’s content.

The group began to break off to do their respective tasks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first Chapter! See you in the next one :D


	2. A Night at the Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor visits Husk at the end of the day. 
> 
> (Had a beta reader)

Besides the usual pestering he got from Angel Dust or Charlie, the day was pretty boring. He didn’t need to do any preparing since he really couldn’t care less if he was prepared for someone’s drink order. He’d do what he wanted and couldn’t give two fucks if he got the order wrong.

Through the course of the day he did spot Alastor walking around the lobby in a seemingly stressed pace but he disappeared the rest of the day after that sighting. What the hell is up with him? 

  
  
  


He waited until Charlie left with Vaggie to go to their shared room to start closing up shop and pull out his more stronger booze. Popping the cork, he took a big gulp, letting the sting of the alcohol hurt the back of his throat and warm his insides as the toxic liquid slid to his stomach. He sighed and slunk down behind the bar, looking forward to drinking his misery away. He flinched as he felt the cold tiles and cold wood of the bar hit his body.

Hurtful thoughts ran rampant in his mind, buzzing in his skull and sitting heavy on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but remember the life he lived before Hell. The people he knew. The war he had to witness. The deaths he faced. The bad decisions caused his once exciting life to grumble before his very eyes. God did he hate himself. He didn’t even want an after-life, he just wanted to stop existing all together. He was tired of it.

He took another swig of the strong alcohol, trying to reach the numbing feeling in his head that he had grown so accustomed to. 

An unexpected tap on his head made him jump and choke on his booze. He coughed and wheezed, balling his claws into a fist and hitting his chest. His eyes stung with tears as he tried to catch his breath. “Fuckin’ hell!” he stammered through his fit of coughing.

A chuckle came from above him. “Sorry Husker! Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Alastor? What the hell was he doing here? Never once did Husk see this man drink ever since they had come to the Hotel. He stood up and placed his bottle on the countertop, placing the cork back in its place.

“What do you want?” Annoyance lacing his voice. He grabbed a chair that was folded up by the racks of bottles and sat down, folding his arms and resting his head on them, closing his eyes tiredly. He just wanted to be in peace as he drank himself to the point of passing out.

“Nothing, just wanted to spend time with my friend is all. Is that alright with you, Husker?”

Husk opened his eyes. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

Alastor seemed to sort of...flinch at that sentence? Something someone would miss if they blinked. 

His smile strained at the sides but he spoke in a chirper tone, “And I ignored you!” He fixed his monocle and sat down on a bar stool. 

They sat in silence before Husk sat up and re-opened his bottle. “What? Do you want a drink or something?” He took a big gulp, noting how Alastor seemed to watch as he did so. The deer shifted in place and looked to the side. 

“That’s a generous offer, Husk. I’ll take you up on it.” He sounded tired but he was still smiling. 

Well this was a first. Alastor had never asked for a drink from Husk, let alone say the name he preferred. 

Husk’s eyes felt fixated on his friend, eyes slightly wide in shock. He hadn’t expected him to say that. He cleared his throat and went back to being his usual grumpy self. “Sure buddy.”

He grabbed a bottle of fancy wine and was about to pour the deer a glass when he was stopped in his tracks. 

“Oh, could I actually have whisky? On the rocks, please.” He was stunned, almost impressed.

“Oh. Sure.” was all he could say to that. He placed the bottle and glass down and grabbed the whisky and a different glass. He put some ice in it and began to pour some of the golden brown liquid out. 

Handing it to him he sat back down on his seat and went back to nursing his bottle of booze. Once Al had taken his first sip, Husk voiced his confusion.

“So, why’d you want whisky? You never drink anything so strong. Ya usually stick to wine or some shit.”

Alastor studied his glass, clearly avoiding eye contact. Setting it down on the counter top he let out a long sigh, taking off his overcoat and placing it down on the stool next to him. “No particular reason. Just a tad...tired.”

“You’re full of shit, Al.”

This made Alastor look up and lock eyes with the grumpy bartender. He scoffed, “No I am not, I am not lying, Husker.”

“Really now? Usually when you say you’re “tired” you just go to your room to sleep or whatever.” He quoted him, making air quotes with his claws.

Alastor wouldn’t give up. He had always been the stubborn type, always being stubborn to admit it. “I’m not sleepy.” He straightened out his posture, looking overly confident in his replies.

Husk only rolled his eyes in irritation. “Whatever you say.” He went back to drinking. 

  
  


Sitting in silence as they both drank, time seemed to pass slowly. Husk was almost done with his bottle and Alastor was on his 4th whisky glass, showing tell-tale signs of being tipsy. ‘ _ Lightweight,’ _ Husk thought.

Al set his drink down and stared at it as he swirled the half melted ice around. “Husk?” His voice was quiet.

Husk paused a moment, examining the man across him, not expecting to hear such a small voice from him. “Yes?”

He didn’t answer right away. “Do you have to drink so much?”

The winged cat’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Why do you do it?”

He didn’t want to answer that. Alastor knew what the answer would be so he didn’t want to rub salt in the wound and actually say it.

Something was definitely off about him tonight. He glanced away, both parties avoiding eye contact. “Probably the same reason as you.”

They slipped into another uncomfortable silence before it was broken by a broken chuckle from Alastor, hiding his face in his hands. “God, I- I don’t know how long I can keep doing this, Husk.”

Staring at the man across from him, he saw a completely different man than the one he saw that morning. “What...What the hell do you mean?”

“Smiling when I don’t want to smile. Being happy when I don’t want to be happy. Ever since we started working at this Hotel, I feel like I’ve taken on so much work. Biting more than I can chew. Using my magic constantly to fix up the place, having to do so much paperwork. Having to deal with the idiotic staff here. Everything is catching up to me and I feel so drained”

Okay, it was official. Alastor was definitely drunk, words bleeding from him before he could stop himself. He knew sober Al would not want Husk hearing this so he sighed and walked around to the other side of the bar where Alastor sat.

“Come on buddy, let's get you to your room, you're drunk.” He awkwardly held out his arms, offering Al support so he could stand properly but the deer’s foggy, drunken mind took it as him offering a hug.

He stood up slowly and wrapped his arms around the grumpy bartender. 

“Wow! Wow! Get off me you smiling prick!” Husk was shocked that Al, of all people, was  _ hugging _ him. The man that hated any and all physical interactions. Sober Alastor would definitely not want this so he tried to pry the drunk man off him.

He stopped when he heard a soft sniffle against his shoulder. “Wait.” Alastor’s voice sounded broken.

Husk took a moment to process the situation. “Okay,” was all he could say, his voice small. He slowly lifted his arms to return the hug.

Staying like this for a moment, Alastor spoke up again, his voice slightly slurred with drunkenness and sadness. “You know I hate seeing you drink so much, never talking to me about how you actually feel. I thought we were friends, Husk…”

More soft sniffles came from Al. Husk didn’t know what to say. He had never heard someone tell him this before. He had never heard someone tell him they didn’t like his drinking. No one ever cared about him enough to say something. 

His eyes felt hot with tears and his nose stung. He just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. He wanted to drink away his thoughts and make his mind go numb. He didn’t want to feel emotions. He didn’t want people to know he still  _ could _ feel emotions, wanting to stay living up to his name.

He felt anger bubble up inside him, remembering Alastor was drunk and this wasn’t his sober self saying these things. Realizing that he probably won’t remember this moment. “Just- Just get off of me and go to your room already, I’m done with this.”

The arms around him got tighter which didn’t help that frustration bubbling up inside him. “The fuck is your problem?” Husk huffed, trying to keep the tears back.

Another broken voice. “Please…” Husk paused upon hearing him. “Please don’t look at me.” He felt Alastor bury his face into the crook of his neck. He didn’t have to say anything else. He knew why he didn’t want Husk to see him at this moment.

He wasn’t smiling. 

The winged cat paused, his mind going silent, void of anything. He hugged back, this time actually properly hugging him. “Okay,” he muttered.

Husk came to terms with the fact that Alastor most likely wouldn’t remember this moment in time. He was fine with that and he was more than fine with him not remembering seeing Husk get emotional. He would never bring it up with him, he would never want him to feel uncomfortable. 

As much as he didn’t like admitting aloud, “you’re a great friend, Alastor. Know that.”

He heard a mumble from said man before he began to feel...heavier? Small snores slipped from Al, and Husk realized he had fallen asleep on him. He laughed quietly, wrapping one of Al’s arms around his shoulder as he guided him to his room. He made sure not to look at his face, not wanting to see the man without his smile.

“Let’s get you to your room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took actually forever to make! I finally finished it though and I hope you enjoyed reading :D


End file.
